Determining the breadth and burden of chronic kidney disease in Ireland: Associations with cognitive impairment, functional decline and quality of life

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health problem all over the world. At least one in 10 adults are estimated to have kidney disease. Some of these people will progress to end-stage kidney disease which requires dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant for survival. However the majority of people with CKD do not survive long enough to reach end-stage kidney disease because of high rates of early-onset heart disease and premature death. What is driving these poor outcomes in people with CKD is not fully understood. The extent to which kidney disease affects Irish people is unknown. There is an urgent need for precise information about the impact of CKD in Ireland, so that healthcare resources can be directed at those that need them most. (TILDA) has gathered detailed health information on a representative sample of over 8000 members of the Irish general population aged 50 years and over. As CKD is predominantly a disease of older age, TILDA is the perfect setting in which to study this disease. The goals of the proposed research are three-fold: to determine the rates of all stages of CKD in the Irish general population; to explore the impact of CKD on the physical and cognitive health of Irish older adults; and to identify those people with CKD most at risk for complications, whom we expect would benefit most from medical intervention. This important research will provide critical information to policy makers towards developing and implementing a national strategy designed to improve the health of Irish people with kidney disease.